FEMA announces self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment.

The online courses are offered by The Emergency Management Institute (EMI). Although some are designed for FEMA employees and first responders, the general public would benefit from the education. An online test is given after the course is over; the person taking the course and passing the test receives a certificate. Courses take from an estimated 45 minutes to several hours to complete.

For criminal justice students, these classes would benefit for both resume building and additional education. For criminal justice professionals and first responders, the courses offer new information. There is a course "Animals in Disasters: Awareness & Preparedness" for those involved in animal rescue or for pet owners. "Emotional and Behavioral Reactions of Children to Disasters" can benefit parents, instructors, and child caregivers.

In 2010 The Bureau of Labor Statistics report on workplace shootings found "sales and related occupations accounted for 26 percent of decedents in shootings. Most shootings occurred in the private sector (86 percent) whereas 14 percent of shootings occurred in government. Of the shootings within the private sector, 88 percent occurred within service-providing industries, mostly in trade, transportation, and utilities." The online course "Active Shooter: What You Can Do" and "Workplace Security Awareness" benefits everyone, takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, is interactive, and has new information to keep safe in the workplace.

FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Its mission is to support citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

To see a complete list of Independent Study program courses, click here.

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J.A. Yates is currently completing her Ph.D. in criminal justice. A criminologist who has lectured, written, studied, and taught about crime and crime prevention for more than 10 years, she has been employed in a myriad of law enforcement jobs.